Skiing at Crystal Mountain

Crystal Mountain is a world class ski resort, rated by SKIING magazine as the #7 ski resort in North America. Experienced skiers are drawn to the expert runs comprising nearly half of the terrain and the 1,000 acres of skiable backcountry areas.

Road Conditions

Westside Road to Close for Flood Repairs

DATE: 8/12/08

For Immediate Release

Contact: Chuck Young, Chief Ranger; 360-569-221, ext. 3300 < /p>

Park Superintendent Dave Uberuaga has announced that repairs to the Westside Road, located at the southwest corner of Mount Rainier National Park, will begin on Monday, August 18. This repair work will result in the road being closed to all public access for a three week period, Monday through Friday, from August 18 through September 5, 2008. This closure is to ensure the safety of the public, as heavy equipment will be working in the area along with trucks carrying large loads of rocks and boulders. The closure applies to all public access including hiking, biking, and motor vehicles, and will extend from the beginning of the Westside Road at its intersection with the main park road, to the motor vehicle gate at Fish Creek. During the closure periods, there will not be access to the road north of Fish Creek from the main park road. The Westside Road will be open to public access on weekends beginning at 5:00 pm on Fridays through midnight on Sundays, and will also be open on Labor Day, September 1.< /p>

The Westside Road was heavily damaged during flooding that occurred at Mount Rainier on November 6, 2006. The work occurring in August will involve reconstructing the road embankment where Fish Creek has eroded it away, constructing two rock barbs (diversionary structures) in the creek to help stabilize the bank, and installing riprap and logs to protect the bank from future erosion.< /p>

Park crews will revegetate the area once repairs are made. Obtaining required environmental compliance approval for these repairs, and completion of other flood-related repairs throughout the park, has cleared the way for work to begin on the Westside Road. It is crucial that work be completed on the road prior to the start of the rainy season which occurs around September of each year.< /p>

Please note that additional work on the Westside Road is slated for September in the flood-damaged area north of the Fish Creek gate. Visitors should use caution whenever near construction zones throughout the park.< /p>

Event Details

Event Details

The magic of THE POLAR EXPRESS™ comes to life in Elbe, Washington. This story of a child’s Christmas Eve journey comes alive on-board THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride. All ages can enjoy the warmth and fun of the Christmas season as you depart for a trip to the North Pole.

THE POLAR EXPRESS™ Train Ride, like the movie, is a 90-minute roundtrip immersive theatrical experience. Passengers will be entertained by Chefs, enjoy Hot Chocolate and Cookies, and listen to a reading of THE POLAR EXPRESS™. Upon arrival at the North Pole, Santa will board the train and give each child the first gift of Christmas (a silver bell). This event will surely become an annual tradition for the whole family. Families are encouraged to wear their pajamas for the ride and join in on the magic of Christmas!

All tickets are for reserved seats, allowing your party to select their configuration of seats together. All of our coaches are heated. Restrooms are available at the train depot, with limited restrooms available on the train. Standard Class train coaches are Tacoma Rail cars representative of the 1950’s era Amtrak passengers cars with comfortable front-facing upholstered seats in paired rows. First Class vintage Olympian Hiawatha cars feature table-and-chair configuration, which allows for parties of 4 to sit facing each other. In Standard Class, hot chocolate is served with a cookie, the cocoa is in a disposable mug. First Class includes a collector’s edition souvenir mug with your hot chocolate and cookie. The mug is exclusively available to First Class passengers and cannot be found in stores.